I can better that offer, although I only live in a very small house I seem to accumulate quite a bit of dust and washing up so feel I could take two /or 3 to assist,they could drink as much tea /coffee /wine/ fruit juice as they pleased (always plenty in stock ) and talk freely amongst themselves, I would not hear them as I would not be listening:thinking:
I live alone by the way. Feel free to comment as why that might be 
My wife has recently become concerned about being deskilled when it comes to cooking - I tend to naturally do it at weekends, some days in the week and also prepare double meals often, reducing the need for her to cook to maybe once or twice per week. She usually does washing and house cleaning because she works 18.5 hours outside the house, and this leaves her time for things like craft workshops and painting classes. Food shopping is also my preferred task.
We’ve taken the view every couple needs to work out what works for them, rather than follow a specific pattern, and for some the stereotype is great, while others find a different way.
2 Likes
Sounds like our house though it would be me doing the ironing for the very same reason.
I was amused when OH and I first lived together and we were house hunting. The estate agent would turn to me when we got to the kitchen (he’s by far the better cook) and to him when in the garage (I’m the one who generally does the DIY). 
2 Likes
I had the same experience (I would have said “we” but neither of us does DIY).
It was quite salutary, tbh: it’s not often men suffer that sort of discrimination.
1 Like
Not possible 
I like DIY, I like cooking and building things and mending things, I like mowing and see the point of taking the bins out etc but I don’t enjoy cleaning and think ironing is a waste of time. If someone else were to do all the cleaning I’d be very happy.
@Jane_Hurst I wasn’t quibbling with its being called housework, it’s the notion that for a couple sharing a home it’s just one person’s job (the woman’s) and the other (the man) only ‘helps’ that bothered me, and that’s what I find misogynist. It’s his mess too.
2 Likes
I love Totoro 
(and chibi Totoro and chu Totoro)
Maybe it has to do with men attaching less importance to cleaning?
My English grandmother used to say “The dust will always be there tomorrow” meaning lets go out and have fun today.
5 Likes
Went to see the stage version of my neighbour totoro in London a while back. Totally brilliant!
1 Like
Halleluyah, a kindred spirit, we bought a very cheap ironing board when we arrived here, because it was so cheap we couldn’t resist. It has never, in 25 years, been used, except as a hook to hang clothes on. Out of all the shirts I have, only one shows crinkles when I wear it, but it feels like paper so I reckon it is supposed to be that way.
I do all the housework, washing, washing up (as I go) and of course DIY and shopping. I was told after Fran died that all the housework that was done for nothing by the Departement could be available to me, but I have not pursued it. Although I loved Chrystelle’s chats in French each week, she persuaded her bosses that the house needed 2 hours a week but really only needed one, so we had plenty of time to sit and gossip , I don’t miss being organised out of the door when floors are drying.
Quentin Crisp, the Naked Civil Servant, used to say that he never did dusting because dust only builds up to a certain level and then stops, so he never disturbed the natural order. I do dust now and again but the only thing that catches my eye is the cabinet the tv sits on, so that gets done.
Of course tiled floors help. No need for the hoover I bought, a sweep around with a brush to clear mainly dog fur, then swish round with mop and bucket every so often but that is all. So glad we got rid of carpets.
2 Likes
Carpets are disgusting to be honest, full of germs and dirt and I have never had any in all the houses I have lived in since getting our first home in 1982. I have one of the Tineco rechargable floor washers which also hoovers at the same time and its brilliant as it deep washes but does not leave hardly any wet behind - you might consider one to help you keep the floors clean and dog hairs down and no nasty bucket and mop stood around indoors.
Hefty price though. Sweeping is no problem and mop and bucket neither, both of which live outside when not in use. That leaves floor drying which I can cope with if I do it just before all of us are going out for and hour or so.
I think Quentin Crisp said that after a couple of years you don’t notice the dust.
1 Like
Crisp wrote in The Naked Civil Servant that ‘After the first four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse.’
Unfortunately my wife has never read the book and, if not doing yoga or dog walking, cleans at every possible opportunity.
Hate to see my pensions squandered on mops…
4 Likes
Over the years I used to stay at friends’ place in London as security while they disported themselves on their Irish properties. I kept it clean and watered the plants …
Time came when I was aked to pay the cleaner the £30 for her 2 hr visit - “Carmen - marvellous, darling - worth every penny”
Well, yes, if your mum, neighbour of Mr Car Phone Warehouse, has just died and left you £X,000,000
1 Like
Yikes!
No need to tell me twice!
Thinking about “dipping your toe”, are you?